Engineering Method
Introduction
Characteristics of the Engineering Method
Project Approach
The Method
Problem Selection
Preliminary Ideas
Refinment and Selection
Feasibility Study
Request for Design
Requirement Analysis
User and Client Requirements
Establish the Level of Design
Determine the Performance Requirements
Specifications Document
Conceptual Design
System Study
System Design
End Product Visualization Document
Refinment of the System Design
System Design Documents
Assessment and Specification Update
Detailed Design
Design Development
Detailed Design Documents
Design Assessment
FREEZE the Design
Implementation
Troubleshooting
Testing and Evaluation
Design and Implementation Testing
Operational Testing
Testing and Evaluation Results
Documentation
The Product Report
References
© Natkeeran Ledchumikanthan
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Detail Design
The engineering product becomes alive in its detail. The "messy details" engages the engineer, and at times drowns her/him. Important, trivial, and tedious details must be attended in order to actualize the concepts.
Design Development
The concepts finalized at the system design need to be developed, detailed and integrated. Prioritize all the concepts; then develop and design according to the priority.
Knowing that proven and strong concepts will work does not guarantee that the engineer will be able develop and design them to work within given resources and time constraints. Also, allocating sufficient time and resources to develop and detail the weak concepts is important. Moreover, detail design involves testing most if not all the assumptions made at the conceptual phase.
Design issues bundle like a snowball, or arrive like Russian dolls. The type of design issues, and issue management requires lengthy discussions, which I avoid at this point.
Economic, manufacturing, technical, and maintenance factors are considered during the design. The design must seek to optimize for available knowledge and skills, cost, as well as for functionality. However, if functional requirements are proving difficult to meet, then the issue of optimization should be of less or no priority. On the other hand, if functional requirements are being confidently met, then the issue of optimization is prominent. Moreover, ensure that the selected components are available.
Design development is a non-linear process. Certain minor concepts sometimes consume enormous time and resources, while some important concepts lend themselves to quick detail design. The detail design requires maturity and patient work from the engineer.
Detailed Design Documents
Hardware Description
Circuit design for core and component systems
Parts selection
Power supply selection
Software Design
Detail flow chart
Data flow analysis
Objects identification and design
Interface Design
Housing Design
Design Assessment
Design assessment takes place throughout the development and design phase. The focus is to assess whether the design will deliver. Simulations, facts check up, numerical calculations, and assumption testing are all ways of assessing the design. If the design does not meet the specifications, then the design or the specifications need to be modified.
Freezing the Design
After arriving at a detailed and comprehensive design, consult with the client or the supervisor, and FREEZE the design. Freezing the design is a critical step in the design process, which should never be overlooked.
If the detailed design is frozen then implementation can begin, otherwise, return to the conceptual design or modify the detailed design.
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